Nice shots (and good bonding experience by the sounds of it)! So, let me understand the blackboard technique...you have the camera on a tripod, then with one hand you hold the cardboard behind the flower and with the other you take the shot...is that how it goes? Do you use a remote shutter release? Considering how wide open the area is, I'd expect the wind to be a pain. Here in the Bay Area is always a bit windy, which makes it real hard to shoot flowers.

Nice shots (and good bonding experience by the sounds of it)! So, let me understand the blackboard technique...you have the camera on a tripod, then with one hand you hold the cardboard behind the flower and with the other you take the shot...is that how it goes? Do you use a remote shutter release? Considering how wide open the area is, I'd expect the wind to be a pain. Here in the Bay Area is always a bit windy, which makes it real hard to shoot flowers.

Hi Tullio,

For the most part, you have it correct. The one thing I do a little differently when I'm just shooting flowers is I tape the black foam core board on a stake- something like a tomato plant stake. This allows me to 'stake' the board firmly behind the plant which frees up both hands. It also allows me take as long as I need to get the proper composition, etc.

And yes, wind is always a factor. I shoot in relatively low light - cloudy days, evening, etc.. I also stop down to an aperture setting of at least f8 and usually more- f16. This only compounds the problem as I leave my ISO set to 100.
What ends up happening is that I'm shooting at an extremely slow shutter speed.

All that forces me to look for secluded areas where the wind is blocked or not a factor.

Great selection of images. Of all the lenses you brought with you, the 45mm 1.8 keeps sticking out in my mind as the one that I would like to own. For an all-purpose general walk around lens, that one really shines.

Also, I was very happy to try out your E-P3. The auto focus on that camera is a very significant improvement over my E-P2.

Makes me think that an E-P3 with the 45mm 1.8 might be a more cost effective solution for what I like to shoot as opposed to an E-M5.

The 45 is really nice, and makes for a super compact set with the E-P3. Here are a couple of other shots I have processed so far that were captured with that lens. If I just want a tiny, two lens outfit, the 12-45 combination is hard to beat and just "different" enough to make for some really contrasting images. This first image, as I know you'll remember, was a tighter crop of the scene I captured above with the 12mm f2 in snap mode. Every so often though, something in-between is the better option, which is why I also carry the 25/1.4.

BTW, I did pull out my 50mm f2 Macro, Four-Thirds Zuiko and shot around with it for a while on my E-P3. Seems about the same type speed as the 35mm f3.5 macro. I guess I do need to use it more. Dang thing is sharp as a tack.

These are really great, Greg! Looks like you had a good time shooting with Zig, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zig-123

.... Of all the lenses you brought with you, the 45mm 1.8 keeps sticking out in my mind as the one that I would like to own. For an all-purpose general walk around lens, that one really shines.

Zig, I've had the 45 f/1.8 about 3 weeks now and it has not yet come off the camera! It's glued to my E-PL2 and is so nice there I've not even tried it on anything else yet. It is just one marvelous lens. I love what it does even more than I loved my 4/3 Oly 50-200 on the E-5.

If the $400 list is too hefty, look around. I found mine used for $300 at KEH.

These are really great, Greg! Looks like you had a good time shooting with Zig, too.

Zig, I've had the 45 f/1.8 about 3 weeks now and it has not yet come off the camera! It's glued to my E-PL2 and is so nice there I've not even tried it on anything else yet. It is just one marvelous lens. I love what it does even more than I loved my 4/3 Oly 50-200 on the E-5.

If the $400 list is too hefty, look around. I found mine used for $300 at KEH.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm a firm believer in letting someone else deal with the depreciation and buy from KEH.com quite often.